Guide · Updated 21 October 2026
How to create a business email on your own domain
An address like you@yourbusiness.com.au matches your website, and it stays with your business when you change email providers. Here is what you need, the steps, what it costs in Australia, and the settings that keep your mail out of spam folders.
By Peter Anastasopoulos, founder of MP Launch
Published 21 October 2026
The quick answer
You need three things: your own domain, an email service such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and a few records added to your domain so mail is delivered to the new mailbox. The service costs about $10 to $25 per person a month before tax, on Microsoft's and Google's Australian price lists.
What you need
- A domain name, like yourbusiness.com.au. How to buy a .com.au domain.
- An email service. The two big ones are Microsoft 365 (Outlook, with Word and Excel on the higher plans) and Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs and Sheets).
- Access to your domain's settings (its DNS records), wherever the domain is registered or hosted.
The steps
- 1
Pick your service and plan
Choose Microsoft 365 if your business runs on Outlook, Word and Excel. Choose Google Workspace if you prefer Gmail and Google Docs.
- 2
Prove you own the domain
The service gives you a short text record (a TXT record) to add to your domain's settings.
- 3
Point your mail at the new service
Add the MX records it gives you. They tell the rest of the internet where to deliver mail for your domain.
- 4
Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC
SPF lists who is allowed to send mail for your domain, DKIM signs each email so it cannot be faked, and DMARC tells other mail servers what to do with mail that fails those checks. Without them, your emails are far more likely to land in spam.
- 5
Create your mailboxes
One per person, plus shared addresses like hello@ or quotes@ if you want them.
- 6
Set it up on your phone and computer, then test it
Send yourself a message from an outside address, reply to it, and check it did not land in spam.
Changes to domain records usually start working within a few hours, though they can take longer to reach everywhere.
What it costs in Australia
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: AU$10.50 per person a month, paid yearly. Email plus the web and mobile versions of the Office apps (Microsoft 365 business plans).
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: AU$21.00 per person a month paid yearly, or AU$25.20 month to month. Adds the desktop versions of Word, Excel and Outlook (Microsoft 365 Business Standard).
- Google Workspace Business Starter: AU$9.90 per person a month (Google Workspace pricing).
- Google Workspace Business Standard: AU$19.80 per person a month (Google Workspace pricing).
Both companies list these prices before tax and change them from time to time, so check the current figure on their pages before you buy. Prices as read on 16 October 2026.
Mistakes to avoid
- Setting it up under one person's login. Use an admin account the business controls, so a staff member leaving does not take the keys with them.
- Skipping SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Your mail can work on day one and still land in customers' spam folders.
- Letting the domain expire. Your email stops working when the domain does. How .com.au renewals work.
How we do it
Business email with Microsoft Office is an optional extra on our Launch Package: $30 a month per mailbox. Email on your own domain, plus Word, Excel and Outlook on your computer. Set up for you. It is Microsoft 365 Business Standard without Teams, with the domain records above done for you, and email help counts toward the hour of help included every month.
You can buy a licence direct from Microsoft and set it up yourself. With us, the setup and the records are done for you, and help is a message away.
Common questions
Can I use Gmail with my own domain?
Yes, through Google Workspace. Business Starter is AU$9.90 per person a month on Google's Australian price list, before tax. You keep the Gmail you know, with your own domain in the address.
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace: which is better?
Neither is better for everyone. If you already live in Outlook, Word and Excel, Microsoft 365 will feel familiar. If you prefer Gmail and Google Docs, choose Google Workspace. Both run email on your own domain.
How much does business email cost in Australia?
About $10 to $25 per person a month before tax. Microsoft lists Business Basic at AU$10.50 and Business Standard at AU$21.00 a month on a yearly plan (AU$25.20 month to month). Google lists Business Starter at AU$9.90 and Business Standard at AU$19.80. Prices as read on 16 October 2026.
Will I lose my old emails if I switch?
Not if the move is planned. Old mail can usually be copied across to the new mailbox. Do it before you point your domain's mail records at the new service.
Do I need a website to have a business email?
No. You need a domain, not a website. Once you have the domain, a website on the same name is the natural next step.
Where the figures come from
- Microsoft 365 business plans: Microsoft's Australian price list (Business Basic). Prices shown before tax.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: Microsoft's Australian page for Business Standard, yearly and monthly prices. Before tax.
- Google Workspace pricing: Google's Australian price list. Prices shown before tax.
Want your email set up for you?
Tell us your domain and how many people need a mailbox. Leave your name and mobile and Peter will call you. Or ring (08) 7008 7501.